In this course we deep dive in the network architecture, protocols and components of 4th and 5th generation networks, including operation and data flows, bits, bytes, and packets and how the whole system runs.

Prerequisites:

Course CELL-001 – Introduction to Radio Technologies and Data Networks

Course TCPI-001 – Introduction to Data Networks and TCP/IP

Duration:

16 Hours

Content:

• 4G networks – LTE, LTE Advanced and more (2.0 Hours)
  • Standards and standardization
  • Introduction and High-Level Architecture of LTE
  • Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and network components
  • The core to cell-sites protocols and the backhaul/Fronthaul
  • The Air-interface (the radio network) structure
• 4G Air-Interface and the radio networks (2.0 Training Hours)
  • Radio principles, frequencies, and transmission methods
  • Modulation and multiplexing
  • The network structure – Front/Mid/Back haul networks
  • Network protocols – CPRI/eCPRI
  • Frames and frame structure
• 4G interfaces and protocols (4.0 Hours)
  • Protocols, interfaces and data structure
  • User and control plane
  • The User Plane protocols and GTP-U
  • The Control Plane protocols, SCTP, X2/S1-AP, and GTP-C
  • The Air-Interface protocols – PHI, MAC, RLC, PDCP and RRC
  • Downlink and Uplink Logical, Transport and Physical channels
• 5G motivation and network objectives (1.0 Hours)
  • From 4G to 5G, technology and standards
  • Network objectives – ultra-reliability, low-latency and how we achieve it
  • Service based architecture and network slicing
  • Standards and standardization
• 5G Air-interface and the New Radio (NR) (1.0 Hours)
  • Radio principles, frequencies, and transmission methods
  • Modulation and multiplexing
  • The network structure – Front/Mid/Back haul networks
  • Network protocols – CPRI/eCPRI
  • Frames and frame structure
• 5G Network architecture (2.0 Hours)
  • 5G network architecture
  • Core network components, functions, and reference points
  • The core to cell-sites protocols and the backhaul/Fronthaul
  • The radio network structure and protocols
  • Service-based architecture and Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
  • Network Bearers, PDU sessions and QoS flows
• 5G Protocols, interfaces and data structure (4.0 Hours)
  • User and control plane
  • The User Plane protocols and GTP-U
  • The Control Plane protocols, SCTP, X2/S1-AP, and GTP-C
  • The Air-Interface protocols – PHI, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC and SDAP
  • NAS-MM, NAS-SM, NG-AP and N11 protocols
  • Physical, Transport and Logical channels